Ice fishermen are well aware of the fact that a hole cut through the ice will ultimately accumulate ice particles on the surface of the water which requires constant removal and to maintain the tip-up in operative condition.
With the applicant's device as disclosed herein the hole is maintained in insulated condition to prevent the accumulation of ice and eliminate this maintenance situation with the alerting or signaling portion of the tip-up arranged above water surface and the line containing reel being arranged below the water surface.
The applicant has searched the commercially available art and has also searched the applicable prior art and references.
Applicant has not found commercially acceptable or useable units which incorporate the concepts of his invention. The prior patented art includes patents to C. H. Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,188; Hurd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,748; Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,689; Nomsen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,655; and Wiltse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,117. These prior art references do teach that the concept of insulating holes drilled through the ice with the reel or line containing spool being arranged below the water surface, the alerting device being arranged above the water surface and a covering or what may be termed an insulating unit on the ice surface.
None of these patents, however, illustrate nor describe the aspects of the applicant's invention nor do they include the advantages of his invention. The Peterson Patent is simply a covering pad with a central aperture and slit for passing the line. The Hurd Patent is simply a buoyant cover to be placed into a hole in the ice with the patentability thereof apparently based upon a black coating on its upper surface to absorb heat and maintain a central aperture in ice free condition. The Williams Patent discloses a complete mechanical box unit mountable on the ice with the line containing reel and all operative portions of the unit mounted above the water surface. The Nomsen Patent includes mechanisms above and below the water surface actuated by reel rotation but is basically directed to a housing of a particular configuration into which a particularly designed tip-up must be positioned. The Wiltse Patent again provides a specifically shaped housing unit with the actuating portions of the tip-up being mounted within the housing and above the water surface.
With the applicant's device as disclosed herein it is obvious that the general objects of the invention are distinctly unique from the references found in the conducted search. Applicant's device provides a unit which is adaptable to holes of various sizes and which is specifically designed to provide immediate actuation of the alerting and signaling device in response to rotation of the line containing reel or spool upon the fish taking the bait. Applicant's device further provides a unit which is easily assembled and disassembled for insertion and placement into holes drilled through the ice while eliminating and preventing accumulation of ice or slush on the water's surface which will normally inhibit actuation of the unit.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a combination tip-up and hole cover for use in ice fishing which provides an insulating cover for the hole to prevent accumulation of ice with means for mounting the reel below the surface of the water and means for mounting and alerting device above the surface of the cover.
These and other objects of the invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying disclosure and drawings.